Friday, November 17, 2017

Some NES games have 5 screws on the back while most have only 3 screws. This article will explain the history behind this, list all the 5 screw variations, and compare 5 screw prices vs 3 screw prices.

5 Screw History

The 5 screw cartridges are sealed together using 5 screws. One in each corner and one in the middle (see the red circles in the photo above). The screws are standard, flathead screws.

By 1988 Nintendo decided to completely switch all cartridges to 3 screw versions instead. These have two screws in the bottom corners and one in the middle (see red circles above). They also have two notches at the top where the bottom half of the cartridge is inserted into the top half (see blue squares above).

At the same time, the screws were changed into proprietary versions that need special hex screwdriver bits to remove.

People speculate that Nintendo made this change to save money (two fewer screens spread out over millions and millions of cartridges adds up). Others think Nintendo made the change for security reasons, basically trying to make the cartridges harder to open and inspect. Tengen and other companies were making unlicensed games, so security screws might have been attempt to make unlicensed games a little harder.

Nintendo has never spoken publicly about the thought process behind the change so it is just speculation in the community.

The differences between 5 screw and 3 screw games are purely cosmetic. There is no game play difference.

5 Screw Prices vs 3 Screw Prices

Some of the 5 screw versions are more rare than the 3 screw versions because 5 screw had a limited production run and the 3 screw versions could continue being made.

Other 5 screw games are more common because the game ended production soon after 1988 so not very many of the 3 screw version were made.

Unfortunately we don't know exact production numbers for each variation but we can compare the prices to see which ones collector's value more.

80% of 5 screw games are more expensive than their 3 screw counterparts and all the games that are less expensive are only slightly less expensive.

On average 5 screw games sell for 99% more than 3 screw ones, but the average is heavily skewed by a couple really big differences. The median premium is 14% for 5 screw games.

The versions with the biggest premiums are Gotcha and Alpha Mission both more than double in price with 5 screws.

The most rare 5 screw game is Mike Tyson's Punch Out. We don't have a market price for the game because we haven't seen on sell but one was recently listed for $2,000. Mike Tyson's Punch Out was released October 1987, very close to the complete discontinuation of 5 screw games. Very few 5 screw copies were released.

Why 5 Screws to Begin With?

Nintendo released the Nintendo NES in Japan in 1983 as the Famicom. The NES came out in the USA in 1985.

Famicom cartridges are shorter than NES cartridges and if you ever open up an NES cartridge you will notice lots of empty space.

This empty space is in there because some of the first Nintendo NES games (Gyromite and Excitebike for example) reused Famicom PCB (printed circuit boards) in order to save money on circuit boards they had already paid for and didn't use in Japan. The PCB's needed to be converted to fit the pin size and count on the NES console.

As you can see in the image below, the NES cartridges with 5 screws fit this design very well without much extra space. The middle screw fits perfectly into the middle screw slot on the Famicom PCB with plenty of room for all three pieces.

After 1988 Nintendo decided they no longer needed the additional screws, but the shape of the cartridge couldn't be changed because the NES console required that shape.

Why the cover art variant so valuable and why does it exist in the first place?

Answer: 9/11

Sony was set to release Syphon Filter 3 on Sept 21, 2001. The original cover art included the US Flag and images of US Government buildings exploding. Sony had started shipping the game to retailers for the upcoming release.

After 9/11, Sony decided to delay the game and recall all shipments. Sony felt the flag cover art was inappropriate after terrorists actually targeted government buildings. Sony would change the cover art and release the game in November 2011 instead.

Most of the original shipments were returned to Sony and never made it out in the public, but some of them got out in the wild.

The 9/11 Flag variant is now extremely rare and there is an interesting story behind it. That means supply is low and demand is high (people like games with fun stories behind them), so the price for the 9/11 American Flag Syphon Filter 3 is worth 120 times as much as the regular version.

If you ever see Syphon Filter 3 in the wild, be sure to see which version it is....the flag could be worth thousands of dollars.

Some games have different names in PAL regions. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is called Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles and Contra is called Probotector. Boom, you just learned something new today :)

If you're a retro gamer in Europe or Australia, these prices will be more accurate than using the regular NES prices we've been tracking for years. Some games like Empire Strikes back sell for a lot more in PAL region while games like PAL Stadium Events sell for much less.

If you see any games we are missing or other corrections, please let us know in the comments below.

Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Nintendo announced another Nintendo World Championships will take place in 2017. Anyone in US or Canada can compete (it isn't exactly a "world" championship) by registering at the official website, nwc.nintendo.com

Preliminary rounds will be held in 8 US cities, New York, San Francisco, Chicago, LA, Minneapolis, Dallas, Seattle, and Miami. And the finals will be held in NYC on October 7th 2017.

There are two age brackets, those older than 12 and those 12 and younger. And the qualifiers will be one specific level in Mario Kart 7, GBA Castle for older crowd and Luigi Mansion for younger. Lowest times in time trial advance to the finals but no word on how many advance from each city.

Nintendo hosted a Nintendo World Championships in 2015 and the original in 1990....and other similar events like PowerFest in 1994 and Nintendo Campus Challenge in 1991 and 1992.

All of the pre-2015 events have rare video games that came out of the competition. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Nintendo releases some NWC 2017 disc that the winners get. It would be fun to have a new, limited edition collectible from Nintendo World Championships.

Thursday, July 27, 2017

Have you ever been at Best Buy or GameStop and seen a clearance sale and wondered "Is that really a good deal?" or "Can I get that game cheaper somewhere else?" You can quickly scan the game and find the price on PriceCharting with any mobile device. Here's how to do it:

1. Download a Free UPC Scanner App
Download a UPC scanner app on your phone. Any one will do BUT it needs offers custom url searches. I recommend Barcode Scanner Pro for Android.

2. Edit Settings
Click the 'Settings' icon (little gear) and make two changes.

First, toggle on 'Open Webpages Automatically' option.

Second, edit the 'Custom Search Url' to look like this:

https://www.pricecharting.com/search-products?type=videogames&q=%s

3. Scan A UPC
Find any video game UPC and scan it.

Click 'Custom Search' button

4. Success!
You will be redirected to PriceCharting page for that game.

The same concept works for other UPC scanner apps and even UPC scanners for computers.

Scanner built for computers can be made to automatically fill in the form on PriceCharting so you never have to leave the site when scanning.

Thursday, July 6, 2017

Multi-purpose Arcade Combat Simulator Summary

Multi-purpose Arcade Combat Simulator (MACS for short) is a military training video game developed for Super Nintendo. You shoot targets on the screen and the game assesses your abilities and gives you tips for improvement. MACS is like duck hunt with a very accurate, full weight replica of an M16 instead of a zapper gun.

The United States Armed Forces contracted to have MACS developed specifically for them. It was never released publicly. They used the game at military bases, national guard facilities, and other locations to train troops on proper marksmanship. There are reports of soldiers using it at basic training as late as 2002.

Multi-purpose Arcade Combat Simulator Gameplay

MACS is basically a series of nine tests of shooting ability. If you complete the objective in the test you can move onto the next one (but this can be changed in settings...more on that later). Each test gets progressively harder, moving from a supported position (gun balanced on something) to an unsupported position. From un-timed to timed. Single targets to multiple targets. Etc.

The initial stages give you feedback showing where you were aiming before you shot and where you should be aiming. It also tells you where you can improve. For instance, your breath control is off, you move the gun right as you pull the trigger, or you aren't holding the gun steady.

This feedback is actually really helpful and it has improved my aim a lot. I can see why the military used this game for basic training.

Rating Definitions

Game Setup
The manual gives very precise setup instructions. You are supposed to use a 13" TV and be 7 feet away from the screen. This standardizes the test for all users and makes sure the distances and sizes of objects match up relatively well with reality.

I've always used a 20" TV because that is what I have. The hardest targets are 300 meters away and they are tough to hit on a 20" TV. The game would be very tough with everything 35% smaller than I'm using.

Zero Shot
The hardest part of the game is the initial "zero" shot calibration. You need to hit a small target 3 times before you can progress to the actual levels. It is difficult because it gives you no indication of where you are shooting and no feedback on where you missed.

The game is supposed to teach you how to shoot, but you need to know how to shoot before you can start playing. You only have to do this once per console power-on so I assume the instructors would do this part once per day and soldiers would never see it.

Level 1: Intro to Supported Position

Level 1 Screen

The first level is a supported position (gun balanced on something) and untimed.

There are different sized targets for different distances. Large target = 50 meters, a bit smaller = 100 meters .... all the way to 300 meter distance. You shoot at three different targets at each range. If you hit two of them, the targets move further away. If you miss, you try again.

Target Distance Screen

After each shot you are told "Miss" or "Hit". Then you see a white icon moving on the screen showing where you were aiming before you shot and a matching black icon where you should have been aiming. A box shows up giving you ratings on different aspects of your shot from Poor to Excellent for "steady position", "aiming", "breath control", "trigger squeeze", and "shot location".

Sight Tracking Screenshot

After all distances have been completed successfully you see a "shot group" screen for each distance showing exactly where your shot hit.

Shotgroup Screenshot

Level 2: Intro to Unsupported Position

Level 2 Screen

This is an unsupported position and untimed. It is the exact same as Level 1 but unsupported.

Level 3: Timed Targets in Supported Position

Level 3 Screen

This is a supported position with timed targets. 24 targets will be presented in a random sequence (4 from each distance) and you need to hit 3 of 4 from each distance.

Level 4: Timed Targets in Unsupported Position

Level 4 Screen

The exact same as Level 3, but unsupported position.

Level 5: Practice Record Fire I

Level 5 Screen

This is where the levels start to feel more like a game than just training.

Level 5 is timed and includes 20 supported and 20 unsupported targets. Targets may show up in singles or doubles and they disappear when hit and a cross hair appears on the screen showing where you shot. For the first time, you can run out of ammo if you miss too often.

If two targets are presented at once, you need to shoot the closest target first or there is a penalty because it is a "tactical error" to shoot the furthest target first.

You get an overall performance grade at the end too. "Expert", "Sharpshooter", "Unqualified", etc.

Level 6: Practice Record Fire II

Level 6 Screen

The exact same as level 5 but you only see a cross hair showing misses, not hits.

Level 7: Record Fire

Level 7 Screen

Same as level 6 BUT there is less time to shoot. The time limit matches the US Army live-fire qualification course time limit.

Level 8: Rapid Record Fire

Level 8 Screen

The same as level 7, but it is harder to progress to the next shot location.

Level 9: Combat Fire

Level 9 Screen

MACS most fun level and the most realistic. The level is timed and you use supported and unsupported positions.

The targets come in 1's, 2's, and 3's and they come in attack/retreat waves. The targets all start far away and then come closer to you. Then they retreat and get further away. There are two waves of this with 40 targets each.

You realize how much the gun weights about half way through this level. You definitely feel arm fatigue and back pain the first few times you do this.

It is the only level that gets a bit of an adrenaline rush. Even though the targets are just crude blocks, it feels like the enemy is approaching and you need to fire faster before they get you. There can be three enemies at once and then you miss one and they come closer and your heart starts pumping. Then you miss more because you rush it and your heart pounds even more. Level 9 is definitely the most fun part of the game.

Level 9 is the only part of the game with high scores and a leader board. You can enter your initials and record your score until the SNES turns off. The cartridge does not have any internal memory to store the high scores.

High Score Screen

Settings and Calibration
The second controller is used for game settings like level selection, wind speed, and starting the light gun calibration.

You hit "A" on the second controller at any time and it jumps to the settings page. You can choose the starting level and the ending level and you can change the wind speed and direction for added difficulty.

"Select" will open a light gun calibration screen. You put the MACS gun into a vice or other method to hold it steady and pointing at the target. Then you adjust the light gun so the shot lines up with your expected location. The screen shows you which adjustments to make for perfect alignment.

Settings and Level Selector

Light Gun Adjustment Screen

MACS Collectibility and Value

MACS is very rare. The game was only used for military training of US troops and national guard. Even if every armed forces base had 4 or 5 of them, the number created would be in the hundreds. Many of these have probably been destroyed or are stored in some army storage facility (like the Ark of the Covenant).

The most recent sale for cartridge by itself was for $1,500 (March 20017). The full gun, cartridge, and manual set been sold publicly so the exact value is hard to know but probably worth at least several thousand dollars.

Multi-purpose Arcade Combat Simulator (MACS) Instruction Manual

MACS is one of those games that definitely needs a manual. Besides "pull the trigger" there aren't very many on screen prompts to get started.

The MACS manual is 45 pages of setup instructions, calibration steps, light gun adjustments, how to start the game, descriptions of each of the nine stages, and some troubleshooting tips too.

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Search "greatest hits" and then filter by "Playstation" games to see a list of all the green label releases we are tracking. The list doesn't include every greatest hits release because we excluded a bunch of sports ones where neither the black label or green label is worth much.

If you already track your collection somewhere else, you can quickly import it with our automatic collection import tool too. Just enter/copy & paste a list of the games you own and we will take care of the rest.

Please share the links to your collections in the comments below. I love seeing other game collections.